Qingyan Ancient Town

Zhao Yijiong, who in 1886 became Guizhou's first top-ranked civil examination graduate, lived in this Qing timber courtyard house with three yards.

Rooted in an early Ming military garrison of 1381, Dingguang Gate's bluestone barbican and watchtower climb the hillside as part of a southwestern stone fortress.

Narrow and deep, with weathered stone walls, Beijie is Qingyan's most distinctive flagstone lane and a favorite of photographers and film crews.

Built in the Tongzhi reign, Qingyan's Catholic church mixes Chinese and Western forms and, together with the Wanshou Palace and Wenchang Pavilion, reflects a blend of faiths.

In the early Ming, the Guizhou Forward Guard established Qingyan Fort in the present-day Guiyang area as a military garrison.

In 1886, Qingyan native Zhao Yijiong placed first in the palace examination and became Guizhou's first civil-service Zhuangyuan.